Nick Knight
Nick Knight is the main character in the Forever Knight series. Originally a medieval knight from Brabant, he was brought across as a vampire in 1228. However, after years of killing to sustain himself, he long since rejected the vampire lifestyle. Indeed, he has repeatedly attempted to find a way to regain his mortality. In order to try to repay society for the deaths he has caused down the centuries, Nick Knight decided to become a police officer. He currently works as a Homicide detective for the Metropolitan Police in Toronto. =Character= History Before being brought across, Nick Knight had a mortal past and a human family. He also has a centuries-long history as a vampire before his arrival in Toronto and the events of the series. ::To find the probable dates of known events in Nick's life see the category on the various timelines that have been worked out by fans of the show. Mortal Life Nicolas de Brabant was born into a noble family sometime around 1200 A.D., probably in the country of Brabant (now part of Belgium). He was given the usual training of a knight. ).]] As a young man, Nicolas de Brabant became aide to Sir Raymond DeLabarre; and he followed his lord when he was sent to take over a castle in Wales with the mandate of investigating local resistance to Norman rule. This centered on a Welsh noblewoman named Gwyneth, with whom Nicolas de Brabant fell in love. Therefore, when DeLabarre killed her in order to quell pending revolt, it was his aide who was blamed instead for her murder. There was no trial: insisting that conviction would be certain, his lord offered him the alternative of going on crusade to the Holy Land.Queen of Harps After some years in the Near East, Nicolas de Brabant returned to Europe in 1228, disillusioned and bitter. Conversion to Vampirism Probably on his way back to his family home in Brabant, Nicolas stopped in Paris, where he met and was seduced by the elegant Janette DuCharme, unaware that she was a vampire. However, once she had him suitably fascinated, she introduced him to her master, LaCroix, who offered him immortality. The knight promptly accepted, without understanding the implications of the offer.Dance by the Light of the Moon LaCroix drained him of blood. As he lay near death, Nicolas experienced a strange vision in which he was offered the choice of passing through a doorway or returning to the waking world. By drinking LaCroix's blood, he rejected death, and awoke as a vampire.Near Death Last Contacts with his Mortal Family After being trained by his master in the ways of the vampire, Nicolas insisted on returning home to see his family— or at least his mother and younger sister, his father having died in his absence. The visit was a disturbing one. He was already sufficiently ambivalent about vampirism to feel compelled to persuade his master not also to bring across his sister Fleur. Remaining home was clearly impossible; and he left with LaCroix and Janette, his new vampire family.Be My Valentine Nevertheless, Nicolas de Brabant remained in touch with his mortal family; and, some years later, his sister made him guardian of her son, André. For a while, he took charge of the boy, raising him in the life of a nobleman of the time. However, urged by LaCroix, the boy found out his uncle's secret. Revulsed at the sight of a vampire feeding, he ran away.Fallen Idol Travelling with LaCroix's family Over the next few centuries, Nicolas de Brabant travelled around Europe with LaCroix and Janette in a family group, never remaining for long in any one place lest the human populace become suspicious of their predations. Initially, he had few qualms about their lifestyle. In 1429, he met Joan of Arc, whose faith challenged his own lack of conviction. He met her more than once before her execution, and offered to save her life by bringing her across; but she refused, preferring to die rather than become a vampire. Her courage shook him badly. Nevertheless, although he may briefly have travelled apart from LaCroix's familyThe flashback in Dead Air, he soon returned to join his master. Thereafter, his reservations were principally roused only when he was attracted to a mortal woman and then, invariably, bit and killed her. ::(For more on the various women with whom Nicolas de Brabant has been romantically involved, see the main article on Nick's lovers.) In the Renaissance, he and Janette became lovers for about a century. The relationship was broken by her at some point in the 16th century, over his objections ;Partners of the Month and, for a time, she left the family group, apparently without negative repercussions from LaCroix. Thereafter, Nick travelled primarily with his master, though Janette also sometimes returned to join them. In 1528, Nicolas fell in love with Alyssa von Linz, whom he married in the cathedral in Linz with the intention of turning her into a vampire so that they might be companions for eternity. However, up to that time, he had not attempted to bring someone across. When he tried on their wedding night, he drained too much of her blood; and she died without making the transition to the vampire state.Dead of Night Subsequent attempts with other mortals proved that he learned this lesson, for he has successfully brought across a number of people since, though not all of them still live. By the seventeenth century, LaCroix's family—with or without Janette—started ranging more widely, often in the British Isles and occasionally across the Atlantic in the colonies of the New World. It was at this time that Nicholas acquired the foundation of his large fortune, when he and a mortal criminal kidnapped the Dauphin of France, and Nicholas then killed his accomplice after they had received a chest of gold coins as ransom.Blood Money defends the medical treatment of plague victims when a preacher says that God only visits illness on sinners.]] More innocent mortal friends began to loom large in the vampire's life: a Puritan farmer,Dying to Know You, an idealistic young doctor in London.Fever. Although his association with them frequently ended badly, it indicates a growing regard for humans, and a recognition of them as people worthy of his consideration. Indeed, in 1755, Nicholas was repulsed when another of LaCroix's "children", Francesca, the Comtesse du Montagne, drained a talented young violinist simply in order to imbibe his talent temporarily.Francesca Around this time, Nicholas adopted a vague policy of killing only "the guilty", though never with a clear definition of what this entailed, nor the willpower to completely limit his predation to the criminal classes. His interest in mortals became of increasing concern to LaCroix, who saw it as morbid. Not without reason: by the 1830s, Nicholas was starting to search for ways to reverse his vampire condition and become human again. In Geneva, in 1830, Nicholas sought the assistance of a radical young researcher, Hans Victor, to whom he revealed his vampire nature in the hope that cutting-edge science might afford him a cure.Let No Man Tear Asunder Victor abandoned the treatments in disappointment at failing to save his injured fiancé from death; but the search continued. Medical treatments were sought again in 1857The Fix and 1916Cherry Blossoms (as well as in the present day). When science failed him, Nicholas turned to the hope of some magical cure.Black Buddha, Pt. 1, Faithful Followers, Dark Knight (1992 Pilot). In 1852, at a battle in the Crimean War, LaCroix was staked by a dying soldier on whom he tried to feed. The injury was not a direct blow, and hence not immediately fatal; and Nicholas was able to save him. Taking advantage of the obligation, he finally decided to leave LaCroix for good.Night in Question His master did not accept this, however, and pursued him for over a century, trying to persuade him to return to a "normal" vampire lifestyle, eschew the friendship of mortals, and abandon his search for a cure. At times, indeed, Nicholas did return to LaCroix's company; but sooner or later his master's incessant persuasion would inevitably drive him away again. It was around 1890, in Paris, that Nicholas decided to forswear killing altogether. He had been persuaded by LaCroix into the belief that a dancer with whom he was infatuated was prostituting herself with a number of patrons. Convinced of her guilt, Nicholas fed on and killed her, only realizing when he tasted her blood that she was, in fact, an innocent and virtuous woman.Love You to Death He declared that he would no longer murder human victims, and thereafter largely subsisted on animal blood. This vow did not, however, prevent him from agreeing to bring people across,Black Buddha, Pt. 1, Baby, Baby nor from draining and killing people he considered guilty of serious crimes.Outside the Lines Although through most of his life Nicholas had simply played the role of a gentleman of the period, once he left LaCroix's company and lived increasingly among humans, he sometimes adopted a professional identity, usually under a pseudonymous surname. At different times, his interests led him to the practice of medicine,Unreality TV archaeology, Dark Knight (1992 Pilot), Spin Doctor and the police force.Amateur Night and the Forever Knight series Each time, however, he was eventually forced to move on—either by some particular force of circumstance (often precipitated by LaCroix), or simply because he had remained in one place long enough for people to wonder that he didn't age normally. Arrival in Toronto With false documents in the name of "Nicholas Knight", he came to Toronto some three years before the opening of the television series Forever Knight. It is not known how he occupied himself for the first couple of years. However, it is likely during this period that he acquired a property at 101 Gateway Lane and turned the top floor loft into a large apartment for himself, with automated metal shutters that could be lowered over the windows to keep out sunlight during the day. About a year before the series premiere, Nick attempted to stop the explosion of a pipe bomb during a robbery. His injuries were sufficiently severe that he appeared to be dead and his supposed corpse was taken to the morgue. His vampire vigour started to heal him inside the body bag; and, when it was opened by the pathologist, Dr. Natalie Lambert, he regained consciousness. After quickly feeding from a bag of blood, he tried to hypnotize her into forgetting the incident. However, a day or two later, when he tested her memory by walking past her on the street, he discovered that she recognized him. Indeed, she was fascinated by his extraordinary ability to regenerate. But she was also sympathetic to his desire to find a cure, and offered to research his condition.Only the Lonely Shortly thereafter, Nick decided to join the Metropolitan Police, where he was assigned to the Homicide Division, working out of the 27th Precinct police station under the command of Capt. Stonetree. Feigning a skin condition that made it impossible for him to work during daylight hours, Nick persuaded Stonetree to let him work the night shift, and—at least at first—to work without a partner.Dark Knight (1992 Pilot) About a year later, LaCroix followed Nick to Toronto, having read about an exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in which was a Mayan jade cup which he (erroneously) feared Nick might be planning to use in a magical ceremony reputed to offer a cure. LaCroix stole the cup and, when Nick became involved in the investigation of his murder of the guard at the museum, took the opportunity to teach Nick another lesson. This time it backfired: Nick staked him with a flaming spar of wood and, for a time, believed his master to have been killed.Dark Knight (1992 Pilot), Dark Knight: The Second Chapter Career as Homicide Detective Although he had initially succeeded in gaining permission to work without a partner, Nick was informed by Capt. Stonetree that the series of murders .]]that culminated in the death of the guard at the Royal Ontario Museum was too high profile to be investigated only on the night shift. For this reason, Nick was assigned a partner, Don Schanke. Until this time, Nick had been repelled by the other man's brash personality. However, he quickly found that he and Schanke worked well together. Their partnership survived a transfer from the 27th Precinct to the 96th, where they met a very different style of commanding officer, Capt. Cohen.Killer Instinct After a year, though, both Cohen and Schanke died in a plane crash while extraditing a prisoner to Alberta.Black Buddha, Pt. 1. The new commanding officer of the 96th Precinct, Joe Reese, assigned Nick to work with a rookie detective, Tracy Vetter—a potentially difficult association since she was the daughter of a member of the Police Commission..Black Buddha, Pt. 1. Nevertheless, although Tracy felt compelled to take risks to prove that her promotion was earned on merit, Nick and she settled into an effective team. Relationship with Janette in Toronto Although Janette had actually been living in Toronto for some time (perhaps as much as twenty years), it was not until he suspected that LaCroix had come searching for him that Nick got in touch with her at the Raven, the nightclub that she owned. to consult Janette.]]After LaCroix's apparent death, Nick continued to drop in at the club—though never as frequently as Janette would have liked. She provided a sounding board for his problems and a loose connection to the vampire community. Janette also sometimes visited Nick at his loft; and, some months after the two resumed their old friendship, she met Natalie Lambert there.Cherry Blossoms Nick made no secret of the fact that Dr. Lambert was helping him find a cure. Though Janette disapproved, she made no attempt to stop them. Indeed, on one occasion when Natalie put herself in danger at the club, Janette sought to protect her;A More Permanent Hell and she similarly protected Nick's partner, Schanke.For I Have Sinned In this way, unlike LaCroix, Janette carefully avoided alienating Nick. Yet her advice to him was essentially the same: that he should accept that he was a vampire, and return to a more typical vampire lifestyle. Relationship with LaCroix in Toronto After staking and burning his master, Nick assumed that LaCroix was dead; and, indeed, for about a year, he had no contact with him. When LaCroix finally returned, it was with a convoluted plot to force Nick to move on by framing him for murder.Killer Instinct When this failed, LaCroix decided to remain in Toronto. Some short while later, he became the host of a night time radio talk show at station CERK, under the professional name, "the Nightcrawler". He used the show to maintain contact with Nick. His monologues were often clearly aimed directly at him, with subjects chosen to fit some current event in Nick's life, such as the case he was working on, or a turn in his relationship with his partner. Though frequently irritated by what he heard, Nick nevertheless felt compelled to tune into the show on a regular basis. He also increasingly consulted his master. Indeed, after a few months, there seemed to be developing a rapprochement in their relationship—or at least some uneasy truce. Conclusion of Forever Knight , Janette is shot after becoming a mortal.]] After Nick had been in Toronto for at least five years, he discovered on one of his occasional visits to the Raven that Janette had moved on, transferring ownership of the club to LaCroix.Black Buddha Pt. 1 Months later she returned from Montreal, now mortal, and seeking vengeance on the man who had murdered Robert McDonagh, her human lover. When she was shot, she either died or was brought back across by Nick—opinions vary—but, in either case, her role in Nick's life ceased.The Human Factor The experience was, however, a great shock to Nick, not least because Janette's transformation back to the mortal state indicated that the change was, indeed, possible. He had always hoped this was true; but, up to then, he had only bee able to take the possibility of reversal on faith in the face of assertions from LaCroix that becoming mortal was impossible. It was only a month or two later that Nick's new partner, Det. Vetter, was also shot: a prisoner attempting to escape custody seized a gun from a nearby uniformed officer, and shot Tracy when he was cornered in a locker room in the police station. She was not killed outright, and lingered for a while in hospital, critically injured. To Natalie Lambert's surprised indignation, Nick seriously contemplated bringing Tracy over—something that he had always insisted that he would never to do Natalie herself. Under her urging, Nick left the hospital. Tracy died shortly thereafter without regaining consciousness. When Natalie came to Nick's loft to tell him the bad news, she was herself depressed by the recent suicide of a close friend. In an attempt to regularize the indeterminate romantic aspect of her relationship with Nick, she proposed that they try to become lovers in the manner of Janette and Robert: he would bite her, but draw and drink only a small amount of her blood. Nick initially refused, saying that it was too risky; however, Natalie insisted that she was willing to take the risk for the chance of their being together. Finally, he allowed her to persuade him to make the attempt. However, he was unable to stop draining her blood, leaving her at the point of death. At this point, LaCroix suggested that he might bring her over. Nick refused. Instead, he proposed that LaCroix stake him, in a form of suicide by proxy. Whether he did in fact do so (and whether Natalie did actually die from exsanguination) was never explicitly confirmed or denied, and remains a source of controversy.Last Knight Personality Nick collects and creates artwork, usually paintings. Relationships Like most people, Nick's relationships fall into three principal groups: family, colleagues, and friends. However, cutting across all these groups is the critical identification of these people as mortal or vampire. In this respect, Nick differs from most of the other vampires in Forever Knight, who have long since lost the people they knew in their mortal lives and now form close relationships only with other vampires. Family In life, Nicolas de Brabant was closely attached emotionally to his mother and sister, though his adult career took him away from his home in Brabant for many years. For a brief time after his sister's death, he became a fond guardian to her son André; but, when the boy discovered that his uncle was a vampire, the two became estranged. Inevitably, all Nick's immediate relations have long since died. Furthermore, he has lost contact with any descendants of his mortal family. Instead, it has been replaced by the quasi-family created by LaCroix. However, LaCroix is both more and less than a father: his role as Nick's "master" makes him mentor, teacher, and closest friend, and puts Nick in a permanent position as a sort of apprentice. There is no question that LaCroix loves Nick, in a possessive and domineering fashion. The complexity of emotion is reciprocated, with Nick as much loving as hating his master, frequently leaving yet always returning to him, and driven at least once to the point of attempting to kill him. Among LaCroix's other vampire "children" it is only Janette who has travelled for centuries as one of his "family". She is, however, more to Nick than a sister, friend, and confidant: she has also been his lover, for almost a century during the Renaissance,Partners of the Month and apparently occasionally since.Crazy Love Although Nick has himself brought several people across, none of them has remained in association afterwards, either with him or the rest of LaCroix's family. Colleagues Down the years, especially in recent centuries, Nick has spent much of his life among mortals, and has therefore assumed a variety of false identities, the most recent of whom is "Nick Knight". In Toronto, he works as a detective for the Metropolitan Police, which immediately surrounds him with colleagues on the force. Initially, he persuaded his superior to let him work alone; but, throughout the course of the television series itself, he is required to work with a partner, first Det. Schanke and then Det. Vetter. In both instances, Nick assumes the dominant position in the partnership—something that is resented rather more by Schanke, who has years of experience, than by Vetter, who has only just been transferred to plainclothes. However, Schanke, in particular, is a fundamentally self-confidant, if not rather pushy man. He therefore intrudes himself breezily into Nick's personal life, often coming over to Nick's home without an invitation. Vetter, on the other hand, never assumes that the reasonably good working relationship she shares with her partner automatically means they will pal around off work. Nick's tendency to go off on his own to follow up leads (frequently by flying, which he cannot, of course, explain) is a source of irritation also to his superiors—first Capt. Stonetree, then Capt. Cohen, and finally Capt. Reese—each of whom expects the plainclothes investigators in their precinct to work more closely with their partners. As a Homicide detective, Nick and his partner frequently consult the Coroner's Office, represented by a young pathologist on the night shift, Dr. Lambert. However, their association is far more than merely professional, since she is also a close friend. Friends Nick's closest friend in Toronto is undoubtedly Natalie Lambert. However, there are multiple layers to their relationship. The primary role she has played in his life from the time they met has been that of medical researcher—Nick's doctor, so to speak. She is trying to find a cure for vampirism so that he can become mortal again. When Nick joined the police force, he and Dr. Lambert also become professional colleagues. This constant contact in both aspects of their lives leads to a close friendship: Natalie is Nick's confidant, at least up to a point, though there is much about his life as a vampire that he glosses over. They are attracted romantically to each other as well, though their admission of such interest, even to themselves, is not easy. Other Relationships Given the long life of a vampire and the complications of moving on in the modern world, it is natural that Nick has many contacts inside and outside the vampire community. He has, at one time or another, employed a number of different people to provide false identification, assist his travels, or manage his finances. With some of these people he is on terms that suggest a degree of friendship. * Larry Merlin is a slick, sleazy computer expert who specializes in providing his clients with documentation for false identities.Hunters * Aristotle is a vampire expert in false identities.Forward into the Past * Don Constantine is a Mafia boss who does business with vampires needing to make travel arrangements.Father's Day * Charles DuChamps is a (mortal) financial expert whose Maison DuChamps handled the De Brabant Foundation money until his death.Blood Money * Feliks Twist is a vampire investment analyst who provides Nick with assistance when the De Brabant Foundation fortune is stolen, and then takes over Nick's finances.Blood Money In addition, there are a number of vampires whom Nick meets in and around the Raven, with whom he becomes more or less acquainted: * Alma * Briana * Miklos * Javier Vachon * Urs * Screed Names and Aliases Although he is currently going under the name "Nick Knight", this is actually only the latest of many aliases. His true name—his name in his mortal years—is Nicolas de Brabant (normally pronounced in the French fashion). This is the name he has used most often in the past, especially during the Middle Ages. Significantly, too, this is the surname that Janette adopted when she left Toronto for Montreal—a time of personal crisis for her, since she was finding herself more in accord with Nick's own views on mortality, and hence identifying with him. Whatever surname he affects, he always uses his original personal name of "Nicolas" in one or another of its various forms, depending on the country in which he is living. Thus, in anglophone countries (such as Canada), he uses the English form "Nicholas"; but, when he lived in Russia, he used the form "Nikolai".Strings Aliases Although for many centuries he employed only his true name, in the past few centuries, Nicolas de Brabant has adopted a variety of different surnames. These include "Knight", which is not only his current alias, but also one he has used in the past. In addition, he is known to have used the aliases "Chevalier", "Hammond", "Parker", "Forrester", "Girard", "Thomas", and "Corrigan". Modes of Address LaCroix and Janette, who have known him for centuries, always use the full unabbreviated personal name, "Nicholas". LaCroix favours the English pronunciation, but Janette prefers the French form of the name. Apart from them, people in the present day who know him well normally use the short form "Nick"—at least if they are using his personal name, which is generally true of Dr. Natalie Lambert. His partners and immediate superiors often call him "Nick" informally; but they are as likely to address him by his surname, "Knight". "Knight" is also the usual mode of address for men (men rather than women) who know him personally but not well, such as his fellow vampires Vachon and Screed. In a more formal professional context, he is usually addressed and referred to as "Detective Knight", both by his associates and by people encountered in the course of investigating a case. Those who may be unsure of his name will address him simply as "Detective"; and he may also be addressed this way by a superior officer who feels the situation requires an emphasis on rank. He introduces himself professionally as "Detective Nick Knight". =Series Information= The character was first played by Rick Springfield in the 1989 television movie ''Nick Knight''. When the concept was picked up for a television series, Geraint Wyn Davies was cast as Nick and the TV show given the new title of Forever Knight. =Episodes of Significance= The following is a list of those episodes in which Nick Knight plays a role beyond the norm, deepening our understanding of his character. For a full discussion of his role in each episode in which he appears, see Nick's episodes of importance. Season One: * "Dark Knight" — Nick discovers that his master, LaCroix, has followed him to Toronto, and reconnects with Janette. He is assigned to work with a partner, Don Schanke. * Dark Knight: The Second Chapter — Nick kills (or believes he has killed) his master, LaCroix. * For I Have Sinned — Nick's Catholic faith reasserts itself as the case he is investigating reminds him of his encounters with Joan of Arc. * Dance by the Light of the Moon — Nick remembers being seduced by Janette and introduced to her master, LaCroix. * Only the Lonely — Nick and Natalie remember how they first met and she volunteered to try to find a cure for him. Nick admits to himself that he loves her. * Feeding the Beast — Although Nick enrols in a Twelve-Step Program only to solve a case, he shows that in many ways his dependence on blood resembles an addiction. Season Two: * Killer Instinct — Nick confronts LaCroix when the older vampire reveals his return from apparent death. * Father's Day — Despite their differences, Nick somewhat reconciles with LaCroix, recognizing the other vampire's quasi-paternal role in his life. * Near Death — Nick remembers being brought across by LaCroix. * Crazy Love — As a vampire, Nick is driven by a compulsion to bite and kill, especially in sexual situations; to control this, he turns to Janette. * Baby, Baby — Nick's "daughter", Serena, has much the same fraught relationship with him that he has with LaCroix: she blames him for bringing her over, and also wants to return to the mortal condition. * Partners of the Month — Nick remembers the end of his century-long romantic relationship with Janette. His partner, Schanke, temporarily moves into the loft after a fight with his wife. * Curiouser and Curiouser — An extended dream reveals Nick's deep rooted sense of guilt about many aspects of his relationships with others. * Queen of Harps — Nick remembers the circumstances that led to his going on crusade. * Be My Valentine — Nick remembers his return to his family after being turned into a vampire. He and Natalie admit that they love each other. Season Three: * Black Buddha, Pt. 1 — Upon Schanke's death, Nick is assigned a new partner, Tracy Vetter. * Night in Question — When he is shot in the head, Nick loses his memory, even to the point of forgetting that he is a vampire. * Dead of Night — Nick remembers his marriage to Alyssa, and his failed attempt to bring her over. * Fallen Idol — Nick becomes guardian to his nephew, André, after the death of his sister, Fleur. * Last Knight — Faced with the knowledge that he has drained Natalie, Nick asks LaCroix to kill him. =Fan Activities= Factions Followers of Nick are referred to collectively as Knighties. They may also be treated separately as Dark Knighties and Light Knighties, depending on whether they favour Nick's vampire or human side. In addition, the following factions are devoted to relationships involving Nick in conjunction with one or more other Forever Knight characters: * Nick and NatPackers and Dark Nick and NatPackers * Immortal Beloveds * Dark Trinity * Unholy Trinity * Unnamed Faction * Cousins of the Knight * Heartbreakers * Les Miserables * Night Shift Fan Fiction ''Since Nick is the protagonist of the series, the majority of fan-written fiction inevitably follows his activities. For this reason, no specific texts are listed here. For fan fiction generally, see Category:Fan Fiction. =Footnotes= Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight